Check-protector.



No. 878,021. PATENTED FEB. 4, 190a.

- N. B. RICE.

CHECK PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED un 5-.1907.

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No. 878,021. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

' N. B. RICE.

CHECK PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5,1907.

3 SHEET8SHEET 2.

- ukdamz 6. A 4

No. 878,021. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

iv. B.- RICE. CHECK PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5 ,1907.

. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

human s'ra'rns PATENT ornicn;

NATHANIEL B. RICE, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALFRED D.

PLAMONDON,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GEE CK-PB-OTE GTOR Application filed June 5.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL .B. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Protectors, e? which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to check-punching machines, or what is generally known as check protectors, and its general object is to provide a new and improved checkprotector by means of which the characters indicating the amount of the check may be so impressed upon the check as to prevent any successful attempt to alter or raise the check.

To that end my invention consists, generally, in the providing of suitable manually operated mechanism by means of which the surface of the check may be punctured or broken over an area somewhat greater than the area occupied by the iigures indicating the amount of'the check, and by means of which figures indicating the amount check may be impressed or printed upon the broken or punctured area previously broken; and to so construct this breaking or punct uring mechanism that the area. of the surface of the check upon which the figures indicating the amount is subsequently printed may be so broken that while it remains sui'licientlv held together to receive the printed -ligures it will not permit rubbing for the purpose of erasure and changing the iigures without such a destruction of the surface as would betray the attempt to alter or raise the check; andalso in so puncturing this area that the ink ol' the impressed 'ligures will show upon the reverse side of the punctured lt is a l'urther object of my invention to provide new and improved mechanism tor a j stamping and brez k the 1 surface of the check upon the area to be.

from both sides: and to pro check protector operated by the lever which shall perforate printed upon vide means by which the l'oration may be adjusted cut character of paper in broken area may be snllicicntlv broken to be destroyed in case an rubbing is applied to it for purposes of erasure but \ct hold together sulliciently to receive the printed figures.

amount of this perso that with d1ll'er- Specification of Letters Patent.

of the the check thei Patented Feb. 4,1908.

1907. semi No. 377.420.

My. invention also has for its object to improve the mechanism of check-protectors in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

Iii the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a top or plan view with the top of the casing removed to show the operative parts; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5

is a side elevation, being the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1 Fi 6 is a vertical vcross-section on line 66 of .l ig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail, showing the Front end of the device with a portion of the casing removed to show the mechanism in ditlerent positions; Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail, being a. side elevation of the pawl and larged detail, being a view the checkl secured thereto by screws, or in any other i appropriate way. The top of the base is thus upon two dill'crcnt levelsto provide an l opening below the casing hereinafter described to admit the check which is to be {)illlt'llOtlallltl stamped.

i it indicates a casing, which is mounted on l the base and provided with removable sidel The front portion of the casmg is provided with a vertical slot 14-, as is best shown in Fig. l, to permit the movement ol' the opcrating-lever hereinafter described. l 15 indicates an operating-lever, the main port ion of which is in the form of a frame coni sisting of side-bars 16 and cross-bars l7, and l is provided with a forward extension 18 l which projects through the slot 14 in the casplates 12 -13.

ing 1 l and is provided at its outer end with an operat iug handle ill. The lever 15 is pivoted by means of a short shaft 2(),which is mounted at the rear to the casing 11. The lever I is normally held in the positions shown in 3 solid lines in the several figures by means of spiral springs ll. which are connected at one I end to the top of the casing and at the other end to the lever 15.

2') inditatcs a polygonal wheel,

2 keyed, or otherwise secured, to a pin 23 l which is journaled in the side-bars 1c of the which is of the printing wheel; and Fig. 9 is an en-' lever 15 toward the front end thereof. This polygonal wheel is Iprovided with a number of faces of'which al but .one are of the same circumferential length. The remaining face is of twice the circumferential len' th of the others, as is best shown in Fig. 8. his wide'r face is indicated by a in Fig. 8. Into each of the other faces is let a type-block whose outer surface bears a type figure. These ty e figures, arranged in the order shown in ig.8,are asfollows: 31234567890. The wider space a is cut straight across so as to recede from the circular line of the circumference, as is shown in Fig. 8.

24 indicates a wheel of smaller diameter than the type-wheel 22, which is keyed, or otherwise secured, to the pin 23, or ma be formed integral with the type-wheel 22. his wheel 24 is mounted upon the right-hand side+facin the front'of the machineof the wheel 22. adapted to move the c eck to be punche fromleft to right,-the wheel 24 is upon the opposite side of the type-wheel from the direction of movement of the check. The wheel 24 is provided with a recess 25 opposite the face of the wheel, which contains the typeprinting stars.

26 indicates a wheel keyed upon the pin 23 upon the right of the wheel 24 and snu ly adjacent thereto. The wheel- 26 is rovitfed wit-h a number of notches 27, which are enaged by a sIpring-latch 28mounted upon the lever 15. he latch 28 o erates to engage the notches 27 and hold t e in 23 at any desired osition when turned y-the devices hereina 'ter described.

29 indicates an indicator-wheel, which is secured to the pin 23 by means of a set-screw 30 exterior to and flush against the side of the casing. The indicator-wheel 29 is provided upon its surface, as is best shown in Fig. 1, with a series of characters corresponding with the characters upon the type face of the type-wheel, and with a character (as B) corresponding with the cut-away portion a of the type-wheel. These figures or characters are preferably placed upon the indicatorwheel so as to be diametrically opposite the corresponding character or space on the typewheel 22, so that when the pin 23 is turned to bring any desired number undera pointer 31 mounted upon the side of the casing 11 above the wheel the spring-latch 28 may be dropped into one of the notches 27 and the desired type or space a be brought into operative position to be used, as hereinafter described. The indicator-wheel 29 is turned by means of a thumb-wheel 32 preferably formed integral therewith. It will be seen that when the lever is rocked downward the typc-wheel will be carried downward with the desired character to print upon the check 5 or the space a brought into operative pose tron for the purpose-hcremafter des ribed.

.hat is to sa the machine bein 33 indicates a lever, the rear end of which is pivoted to a pin 34 mounted in the casing 11 below the operating-lever 15. The lever 33 is mounted'in the casing below the operating-lever 15 and in such a position as-to be cleared by the type-wheel 22 when the operating-lever is operated and to be in re ister with the wheel 24, as is best shown in ig. 6. Preferably, a sh ht clearance should be provided between t em to permit the free operation of the parts. and articularly the inking roller hereinafter described. The forward or freeend-of the lever 33 is provided upon its under surface with a number of perforating points 35. Y

36 indicates astud, which formed integral with the lever 33 and projects downward therefrom at a suitable point between the ends of the lever to operate the coacting perforating lever hereinafter described.

37 indicates a stud on the upper surface-of the forward end of the lever 33, which is adapted, when the stars are placed in printing position, to enter the recess 25 so as to prevent the perforation of the paper when said stars, or similar device, are printed to indicate the end of the number printed u on the check as hereinafter described. W ten the operating-lever 15 is pressed downward, the periphery 'of the wheel 24 ultimately is brought into contact with the stud 37, and the lever 33 is'rocked downward, except, as has been said, .when the type-wheel is turned in such,a osition as to print stars or similar device. 11 this last case, as has been said, the stud 37 registering with the opening 25 the lever 33 is not ressed downward a sufficient amount to pe orate the check.

40 indicates a lever, which is pivoted by a screw 41 at a point between its ends to a shoulder or bar 42 which is screwed, or otherwise secured, u on the under surface of the top portion of t e base. -Near its outer end the lever 40 carries upon its upper surface an upwardly-projecting portion 43 which registers with the erforating points 35 on the lever 33, and which is provided upon its upper surface with a number of perforating points 44. The projection 43 with its points 44, when the lever 40 is operated, as hereinafter described, moves u wards through a suitable opening 45 in t e top of the base 10 in order to meet and coact with the points upon the lever The points 35 and 43 are so placed that they come between one another when operated,that is to say, so-that the proiectrons of one come between the points of t to other.

46 indicates a set-screw, which is carried by the other end of the lever 40, and which bears against the stud 36 on the under surface of the lever 47 indicates a flat spring, one end of which is screwed, or otherwise secured, to the shoulder or bar 42, and the other end of which bears upon a ver is moved forward ers 50 will be sufficient the under surface of the lever and operates to normally hold the levers 33 and 40 in the position shown in Fig. 2. By means of the set-screw. 46 the levers may be so adjusted with relation to each other that the proper degree of interaction between the po1nts3544 may hereinafter described. The lever 40 is, of course, as is best shown in Fig. 6, immediatelyv below and in registry with the lew er 33. When the lever 33 is pressed downward by the engagement of the. stud 37' with the peri hery ofthe wheel 24 during the movement 0 the operating-lever, the stud 36- bears upon the upper end of the set-screw 46 and the lever 40 is thereby rocked, moving the front end upward so that the points 44 passing upwardthrough the opening 45 meet and co6perate with the points 35 upon the lever 33 to punch a rectangulararea upon the surface of the -check. The thickness of the levers 3340 is preferably the same as the thickness of the type-wheel 22, and the area covered by the perforating points of the two levers is such as to be at least as wide as the printed figure and somewhat longer.

48 indicates a shaft, which isjournaled in suitable bearings 49 on the under surface of the to of the base to the left of and outside of .the eft-hand side of the casing. p

5050 indicate rollers, which are keyed upon the shaft These rollers are preferably formed of rubber, or other suitable material, adapted to engage a strip ofpaper and by their rotation with the aid of the cocarries upon its lower end a spring-actuated pawl 53 ada ted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-whee 51. When the operating-lefor the purpose of printing or perforatin the check, the pawl 53 slips over the'ratchet-teeth. When the lever returns to its normal position, the spring-pawl 53 engaging the ratchet-wheel 51 turns it in the direction indicated by the arrows on the several figures, rotating the rollers 50 in the direction indicated by the arrows. The parts are so proportioned that the amount of rotation given to the rollto advance the check being punched a distance equal to the width of the type-wheel and perforating levers.

54 indicates a slide-bar, which is mounted in bearings 55 upon the left-hand side of the side-plate 13 of the casing 11. The slide-bar be secured to suitably perforate and break the paper, as

48 and are of a'diameter suf-' ficient to project through suitable openings in the top-plate 10".

54 carries journaled on a pin 56 on its lower end two rollers 57, which are preferablv formed of rubber, or other suitable material, adapted to engage a sheet of vpaper, and which cooperate with the rollers" 50 to advance the sheet. I

58 indicates a spiralspring, which is mounted in a suitable recess in the slide-bar 54,- the upper end bearing upon a lug 59 on the side of the casing and the lower end upon the bottom of the recess and operating to normally hold the rollers 57 yieldingly against the surface of the rollers 50.

60 indicates a thumbiece formed upon the upper end of the slidear 54.

61 indicates a thumb-piece mounted upon piece 60. By gripping the two thumb- 'iieces 60 and 61 between the fipgers,'the sli e-bar 54 may be raised to permit the insertion of the check between the rollers. Referring to Fig. 6,62 indicates a check, which is placed. upon the machine on the plate 10 showing its-forward end engaged by the rollers.

Referring to Fig. 7, where these parts are which is pivoted at its upper end near the top of the base 10 in front of the-type-wheel. The lower end of the swinging lever 63 carries an inking-wheel64, which is journaled upon a pin 65 mounted on the lower end of the lever 63. The pin 65- is screw-threaded so as to screw into a suitable screw-threaded opening in the lever 63, .and is provided with a suitable head by which it may be screwed 3 into and out of position. 66 indicates a l jam-nut, which is screwed upon the outer end of the 'pin 65. The inking-wheel 64 is so carried by the lever 63 that It comes below and registers with the periphery of the typewheel-22. v provided with an ink-absorbent material upon its surface so that it may hold a supply 0 ink for 'the inking purposes hereinafter described. 67 indicates a spiral spring, one end of which'is connected with the casing and the other with the lever 63 andxoperating to hold the lever 63.normally in the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and return the same to that position after beingNforced out of it, as. hereinafter described. hen the operatinglever 15 is lowered the periphery of the typewheel '22 comes in contact with the inking- 1 wheel 64, and as the. downward movement l continues, the lever 63 is swung forwrad into i the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7,- l the inking-Wheel carrying ink, as has been l described, moving upon the surface of the l type and inking the same with each 0 eral-tion. In order to-permit the downwar mol tion of the pin 23 for the operation of the l lever 15, the side of the casing 12 through i which it passes is provided with a slot 68 which is arc shaped on a radius equal to the distance between the pivotal point 20 of the the side of the casing 11 above the thunib-.

best shown, 63 indicates a swinging lever,

The inking-wheel 64 is, of course,

operatingl-lever 15 and the pin 23. Between each oft e figures on the indicator-Wheel 29 a radial slot 69 enters said wheel, one of which slots, according to the osition of the 5 printing devices, is engaged y ashoulder 70 on the outer surface of the plate 12 immediately below the registering-wheel, operating to hold the printin devices in position 'duri the operation 0% the machine. .The shoul er 70 is grooved in the arc of a circle whose center is the pivotal point 20 of the lever 15, in order to properly register with the grooves 29 and engage them during the descent of the operating-mechanism. 71 72 indicate removable plates upon the sidelates 12'13 secured thereto by screws. y the removal of the plates 7172 access may be had to the jam-nut 66 on the head of the screw 65, in order'that the inkin roller 64 maybe removed ah d a new" and fi'eshlyinked roller substituted whenever may be desired. 73 indicates a platen, which is let'into the top plate of thebase so as to register with the type character on the wheel 22 when-the lever is operated to print thecharacter. This laten 73 is formed of rubber, or some suitaliiie sli htly-yielding material, to cooperate with the type upon the wheel in printing the pa 'er,the rinting being done upon the paper etween the pad and the type character.

The operation of the device is as follows:-

The check or stripof paper to be operated upon is inserted in position, as shownin Fig.

6, with its lead end engaged between the rollers 50 and 57. The indicator-wheel 29 is then sets o that the blank space a of the ty ewheel 22 is lowermost, which is indicated by the pointer 31 coming 'over the marking on the -indicator-wheel which indicates the proper position,''inthis case by B. The operating-lever is then depressed, causing t e wheel 24 to come in contact with the stud 37 on the lever 33, by which means the two levers 334O are brought together, the

'points.35 and 44 impressing the paper be-- tween them and puncturing it from both directions over an area covered by the points. These points are so formed as to puncture the paper in such a way as to break the fibers over the given area,which, ashas been said, is somewhat larger than the figure or character thereafter to be impressed upon it,in such a way that while it is capable of receiving the impress of the character afterwards printed it will be so broken that it cannot be rubbed for the to erase the figure without practically destroying the pa er The operating-leveris then raised, wgereupon by the operation of the spring-dog 53 the shaft 48 and rollers 50 are rotated sufficientl' to move the check or strip of paper forward a distance equal to the width of the perforated or broken areaf Because of the clearance between the typetured area W1 l-come against the rear e ge of .upon the reverse side of the check. 'At the.

.portion previously. perforated;

purpose of trying sary to again depress the operating-lever to puncturethe aperasecond time, which uncthe area which was previously punctured. The lever bein raised, the strip of paper is again advanced by the rollers the width of the perforated area. The indicator-wheelbeing then set to the dollar sign, the lever is a ain depressed and thefigure on the type-w eel which impresses the dollar sign being inked by the swinging over of the inking-roller, as above described, the dollar sign is rinted upon the check u on the area whlch has just been perforate and broken. By reason of the previous perforation the ink is not only printed u on the face of the paper but passing throng the broken'perforated'portion willappear to a considerable extent same time and b thesame operation of the lever the punchmg or breaking levers areoperated and again break an area of the paper behind the printed character and immediately adjac'e'ntto the rear ed e-of. the 'I he indi cator-wheel is, then set successively to such figures as indicate the amount of the check, and each fi re being printed upon the previously bro en and punctured portion, and at the same time the breaking-levers operating-to unch or break another area 1mmediately ehind.

As soon as the figures indicating. the amount of the check are completed, the indicatorwheel is set to the sign indicating the character .to be printed immediately after the last figure, which, as illustrated in the drawings, consist of double stars, one above the other, 5 although, of course, it may be any other suitable character. W hen the indicatorwheel is set to indicate'the printing of this figure, the recess 25 comes in such position that when the lever is depressed the lug 37 1 on the lever 33 enters the-recess 25, which prevents the two punching leversfrom being moved close enough together to-punch thecheck,the :termlnating character" being printed upon the previously broken or punc- 1 5 tured area. When the operation is. completed the surface of the check will have been perforated and broken 'over a rectangular area somewhat larger than the cha acters, and the figures indicating the dollar sign, 2 the amountof the check and'the terminating character will all have b en printed upon this broken area. 'As has been said above, the printing of the characters upon the'area previously broken causes the ink. to pass through thebroken or perforated'surfaceso that the figures not only appear printed upon the surface of the check but also are'shown in reverse on the other side. This is one .of the great advantages of my device, because if fer also to use indelible in any attempt were made to alter the check by rubbing upon the figures to erase them. the rub lied to both surfaces to d insure such a c omi erated by said lever to bing would have to be ap of the check,which wou plete breaking away of the already punctured or broken area as to show 'at once that the figures had been tam ered with. I preif for the printing of the figures. As has been said, one charace l l l te'ristic feature of the puncturing of that'porl tion of the-check surface upon which the figures are to be printed is the puncturing or breaking it in such a way that the surface will hold together suiliciently to receive the figures imprinted upon it but will be so broken that if any attempt is made to tamper with the figures by erasing them in any the broken surface will be torn away and destroyed, immediately betraying any attempt to alter the check. 'In order that this breaking of the surface may be suflicient .to prevent any rubbing upon it afterwards for the purpose of erasing the'figure, and yet not be such as to itself tear away the paper, I have rovided the adjusting-screw 46. By the a justment of this screw, the two opposing puncturing portions of the leversthe points of which, as has been'said, do not register with each other'but are so constructed that the points of each enter between the 4 spaces of the other--may be brought into such relation with each other as to effect this desired result in accordance with the character of the paper to be used. The tougher the character of the paper the more closely together should "the two opposing breaking portions be brought to one another in order to sufiicientlybreak without destroying the surface of the check. It will be understood, of course, that when it is desired to introduce the check the rollers 57 are lifted by the bringing together of the two thumb pieces 6()61 to ermit the check being placed under the rol ers. When the check is in-position,-the thumb screws are released and the spring brings the rollers into operative relation with the rollers 50. When the punching is completed, the rollers are again lifted by manual operation and the check removed.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a check-protector, the combination with mechanismfor advancing a strip of paper, of means for breaking the surface of the paper from both sides, and means for impressing a character upon the previously broken portion of said strip.

2. In a check-protector, the combination withmeans for advancing a strip of paper, of means for giving plurality of erforations to. break the surface of the same om both sides over a given area, and means for printing a character upon the previously broken area.

3. -In a check -protector, the combination to said strip of paper a .thereon, and

. holding a strip of with a base, an operating-lever mounted means operated by said lever advance said strip of paper, of means oppuncture and break the surface of said paper from both sides over a determined area, and means operated by said lever to print a character upon the previously broken area.

4. In a check-protector, the combination with a base, an operating-leversupported. thereon, of means operated by said lever adapted to give to said paper a number of perforations from both sides in order to break the surface over a given area, mechanism operated by said lever adapted to print a character upon the previously broken surface, and means operated by said leverto advance the strip of paper a given distance after each puncturing and printing operation.

5. The combination with a base and an operating lever mounted on said base, of means carried by said base and operated by said lever to break the surface of a strip of paper from both sides over a given portion of its area, mechanism operated by said lever to print a character upon the previously broken surface of said strip of paper, and mechanism operated by said lever to intermittently advance the strip of paper after each breaking and printing operation.

6. The combination with a base, an operating-lever mounted thereon, and means for paper on said base in operative relation to said lever, of opposin uncturing mechanism operatedv by s'ai ever topuncture and break the surface of the strip of paper from both sides, a t pewheel carried by said lever and adapte by the operation of said lever to print a character upon the previously broken area, and means operated by said lever to advance the strip of paper a predetermined distance after each 'breakinga'nd printing operation.

7. In a check-protector,-the combination with a base, an operating-lever mounted thereon, upon said-base in operative relatlon tosaid lever, and means adaptedto advance said strip of paper a predetermined distance after each impressing movement of the lever, of

opposing levers provided upon their operperforatmg points adapted to puncture and break the ative ends with a plurality of surface of the paper over a given "area from both sides of. the paper, printing devicesoperated by said operating-lever to print a character upon the previously broken area of the strip of paper, and means carried by said operating ever for operating said perforating levers and said printing devices either simultaneously or separately. 8. In a check-protector, the combination with a base, an o. crating-lever mounted thereon, means for olding a strip of paper means for holding a strip of paper upon said base in operative relation to said lever, and means adapted to advance said strip of paper a predetermined distance after opposing levers provided upon their operative ends with a plurality of perforating points adapted to puncture and break the surface of the paper over a given area from both sides of the paper, printing devices 0 erated by said operating-lever to print a a c aracter upon the previously broken area of the strip of paper, means carried by'said impressing movement of the lever, of

by the breaking simultaneously or separate y, and an ad- 15 justing screw mounted on one ofsaid oppos-. lng levers and bearing upon the other wheremechanisms may be adjusted to one. another.

NATHANIEL B. RICE.

' Witnesses:

C. E. PICKARD, WILLIAM H. DEBUSK. 

